- Charlotte Hornets (1-2) at Dallas Mavericks (1-2)
- Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8:30 PM EST (American Airlines Center)
- Fox Sports Southeast, FOX Sports GO App and WFNZ 610 AM or 102.5 FM
- Last time out: Dallas won, 116-100, on Feb. 8, 2020 in Charlotte
Hornets Dominate the Paint on Both Ends in Brooklyn Win
Shortcomings on the offensive and defensive ends in the paint plagued the Hornets across their 0-2 start, but those problems were virtually non-existent in a 106-104 home victory over Brooklyn on Sunday night. Charlotte outscored the Nets by 38 paint points after registering an average scoring differential in this area of -6.0 in losses to Cleveland and Oklahoma City. Shots around the rim are starting to fall for the Hornets and three nights ago, the paint protection on defense in forcing Brooklyn to shoot just 13-of-23 was absolutely on point.
<h4Keeping Luka Dončić On the Perimeter
Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić waltzed his way onto the All-NBA First Team last season and is off to a hot start in year three with averages of 27.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists through three games, although is shooting just 44% from the field and 13% from distance (2-of-16). Dončić currently leads the NBA in isolation plays per game (7.0 on 30% shooting) and forcing the Slovenian to take tough, contested attempts away from the basket will be a focal point for the Charlotte defense. Of note, he shot just 14-of-32 and 5-of-15 from three in his only game against the Hornets last season, a three-point overtime home loss for Dallas.
Charlotte Needs to Be Disruptive on Defense
Dallas is excelling right now with ball security and currently leads the NBA in fewest turnovers per game (9.7) and ranks second in points allowed off turnovers (13.0) through Dec. 29. Charlotte’s offense is putting up the fourth-most points off takeaways (22.7) per game and a league-leading 22.3 fast-break points, both byproducts of a quicker pace of play. The Hornets will need some above-average play-making on the defensive end, while perhaps adjusting to scoring efficiently more often in the half court than they’ve been accustomed to this season.
Preview Quote
“I hope we have appropriate fear [against Dallas]. We did against Brooklyn and it forced us to play in a more urgent, competitive fashion. [The Mavericks] are coming off a 51-point win. We better be alert, we better be on edge because that’s a very good team. I’m confident in our guys. If I see the same blueprint, the same fire, the same focus as I saw against Brooklyn, we’re going to be okay.” – Head Coach James Borrego
Final Thoughts
The Hornets started the season slowly with a pair of disappointing losses before breaking through for a big win over the star-studded Brooklyn Nets. Record aside, Charlotte has progressively looked better and better in each of the three games its played and will need another all-around 48-minute approach to take down one of the NBA’s most balanced teams and notch a second consecutive victory in Dallas.
Additional Notes
F Kristaps Porzingis (right knee surgery) will be sidelined for Dallas… This will be the first home game of the season for the Mavericks… Charlotte has lost three of its last four meetings with Dallas, although did win on the road in overtime, 123-120, on Jan. 4, 2020. Terry Rozier (29 points) and Devonte’ Graham (27 points and 13 assists) each had 20-point games for Charlotte in this contest.